Clicker Training Whippets

[Eceni]

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Hi

Just spent a while this evening discussing clicker training of sighthounds in general and whippets in particular with a friend... I tried to click my step-daughter's new rescue lurcher. He's a stunning lad - whippet x terrier - and astounding on the lamp, walks nicely on a loose lead, is a complete gentleman in all respects -but totally didn't get the idea of clicker training. The only time I've seen that before is in a horse that was extremely shut down.

so - it may be that he's simply not food oriented - he clearly isn't - it's taken a month to get him to eat anything other than the low grade kibble he came with - and he's not into toys, so finding what's rewarding when we're not out in the field will be difficult. It's not necessary with him - they're happy as he is - but I was wondering if it's him, or if it's all sighthounds (I clicked my collie lurcher, but the collie half made her want to work, so that was cheating).

so wondering if anyone else is clicker training whippets or whippet hybrids and what you find works as reinforcement?

thanks

Manda

 

[posh totty]

i did some clicker work with my ig blue , he did respond very well after a short period of time , he too was not food orientated, i went through many different types of treats before i found 1 he loved , keep at it hun , it will work

 

[Eceni]

i did some clicker work with my ig blue , he did respond very well after a short period of time , he too was not food orientated, i went through many different types of treats before i found 1 he loved , keep at it hun , it will work

Thank you! I think the garlic-liver bake should do it... all I have to do is persuade Faith she doesn't mind the kitchen stinking of baked liver for an afternoon or two...

 

[littlenell]

Im going to classes with Vinnie at the moment. He isnt too into food either but I make sure he has a variety of goodies he doesnt get at any other time (cheese, garlic sausage, hot dog sausages) all chopped up and mixed with cat biscuits :x keep at it

 

[devonmaid]

oh i had a weird conversation yesterday with someone ,who was enquiring about my whippet/bed pups ,i think she wanted to clicker train and compete in agility,i said i wouldnt recommend them for this and there not that orientated for it ,the weirdest bit was when i said it wasnt my forte the she almost accused of not caring for what i bred and i was a puppy farmer :b i know they will do it but it wouldnt be my first choice of dog lol ,i thought i was just being honest :clown:

 

[~Sarah~]

I did a Clicker Training course at my local club with Dolly, one of my whippets, a couple of years ago. I really enjoyed it and carried on using the clicker at the club (working towards her Bronze KC Award) and found she was very responsive. :thumbsup: She is not very food orientated, but I found cheese worked very well with her. If you train at a club you need to choose a food that isn't too 'crumbly' otherwise bits end up on the floor, which is a bit distracting for all the dogs. :-

I have let things slip a bit lately, but plan to return to dog training soon, and hopefully Dolly will attempt her Bronze again. On her first attempt she passed everything except the last exercise which was the Stay. I am sure she was much more interested in training using the clicker than she would have been without. I also used the clicker with Remmy (whippet) and Bobby (Collie x) and they too were very keen.

I would really recommend them as a very useful training aid. There is quite a lot of info on the net if you Google it.

 

[Schmick]

I have been using the Clicker as part of my two Whippets Tracking Training. They have been responding very well to the Positive Reinforcement Training based on the Clicker with Food Rewards. There are food reward oriented and don't respond to toys and aren't so driven by the need to please there handler as a Collie or breeds or that type seem to be.

We are using the Clicker to train the Whippets to Indicate the Articles that have been dropped on the Track by the Track Layer.( In our case to drop at the Article)

Their need to find the person at the end of the Track is all they care about so the Clicker has been a good tool and helps to take their mind off the Track Layer for a moment and onto the Articles.

 

[jinnyfizz]

I clicker trained Jinny as a young pup and she has never forgotten it.

Worked brilliantly for her and now all I have to do is click my nails together and she will sit :thumbsup:

 

[gogogo]

Manda, to me it sounds as if he isnt ready to start opening up his brain to learning new things, perhaps its just too early days, you can tell when a dog is switched off and shutting down. I would leave it a while and then spend a long time introducing to him what the clicker means, so just throwing the treats and clicking at each nibble. I think that if you throw plenty of treats down to start with and click at each pick up, and then move the dog around and throw and C/T it seems to sink it faster. But I think he needs to be open to learning first. I do clicker some things, but I combine my training with lure training as well. I tend to use clicker for a speedier reaction, to to get a quicker response to something.

 

[Eceni]

Manda, to me it sounds as if he isnt ready to start opening up his brain to learning new things, perhaps its just too early days, you can tell when a dog is switched off and shutting down. I would leave it a while and then spend a long time introducing to him what the clicker means, so just throwing the treats and clicking at each nibble. I think that if you throw plenty of treats down to start with and click at each pick up, and then move the dog around and throw and C/T it seems to sink it faster. But I think he needs to be open to learning first. I do clicker some things, but I combine my training with lure training as well. I tend to use clicker for a speedier reaction, to to get a quicker response to something.

Thank you all - what's good to know is that it isn't all whippets and their hybrids - and yes, I think you're right, he's still very shut down - if they want to go on with more (and they may not, he's not my dog), I'll do as you suggest. I've been reading 'Control Unleashed' by Leslie McDevitt which is one of the best of the recent wave of advanced clicker books by people who've understood the science *and* really know dogs... there's a fantastic picture of a young whippet being taught to 'look at that' as a way of using the Premack principle... it's fascinating to understand - and there's a yahoo group run by Leslie so we can follow up on stuff we don't understand... so all I need to do now is find The Perfect Puppy (and finish the book) and we're away!

thanks, all

m